Bury Council has signed a £9 million deal with Be.EV to install over 30 new electric vehicle (EV) charging points across the region.
It is the latest example of a progressive local authority helping to accelerate the UK's EV transition. This comes as the government has committed to ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030; a reliable public EV charge point network is critical to greater adoption of EVs.
The chargers, which are being distributed over 20 public sites in Bury, will improve access to charging across the community and keep up with demand. There are currently 26 publicly available charging points available to residents; Bury council wants to double this number over the next two years.
As well as cleaner air, Bury residents will also benefit from a rental income from the charge points.
Most of the chargers will be rapid or ultra-rapid, which can charge a typical EV to 80% in 20 minutes to an hour. The new points will be primarily in convenient and easily accessible areas such as town centre car parks.
“The council is committed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2038. Transport emissions make up a significant amount of our greenhouse gas emissions, therefore we need to make the transition to cleaner transport,” Councillor Alan Quinn, cabinet member for the environment, climate change and operations, said.
“Electric vehicles can form part of this new picture. But, to help residents who want to make this switch, we need to increase the charging infrastructure so they feel confident they can recharge their vehicles easily.
“This is a concessionary contract, so all up-front installation and operating costs are being undertaken by Be.EV, and we will also receive a rental income. We will be working to get the chargers in the ground as soon as possible, certainly later this year.”